Cudahy v. Tax Commission

276 N.W. 748, 226 Wis. 317, 1937 Wisc. LEXIS 310
CourtWisconsin Supreme Court
DecidedDecember 7, 1937
StatusPublished
Cited by4 cases

This text of 276 N.W. 748 (Cudahy v. Tax Commission) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Wisconsin Supreme Court primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Cudahy v. Tax Commission, 276 N.W. 748, 226 Wis. 317, 1937 Wisc. LEXIS 310 (Wis. 1937).

Opinion

Rosenberry, C. J.

The consideration of the validity of the additional assessment involves two distinct and separable questions : First, Was the Wisconsin Tax Commission without statutory power on May 23, 1936, to impose an additional assessment upon Michael F. Cudahy, hereinafter called the “taxpayer” ? Second, Did the transactions involved claimed by the taxpayer to be a reorganization result in taxable income to the taxpayer in 1929? Each of these matters will be treated separately.

[320]*320Part I.

The income dealt with was the income for the year 1929. Sec. 71.11 (5), of the statutes of 1929, provided:

“Additional assessments and corrections of assessments may be made of income of any taxpayer if such corrections are made within seven )^ears after the close of the period covered by the income tax return, provided that after July 1, 1929, additional assessments or corrections and assessments may be made if such assessments and corrections are made within four years after the close of the period covered by the income tax return. ...”

In Weyenberg Shoe Mfg. Co. v. Kelley (1933), 210 Wis. 638, 246 N. W. 418, 247 N. W. 320, the court had the interpretation of this statute under consideration. It was there held that the Wisconsin Tax Commission was without power and authority to make an additional assessment under this section unless it was made, completed, and entered on the tax roll within the four-year period. In this case the four,year period ended December 31, 1933. The tax having been imposed on May 23, 1936, the taxpayer contends that the Tax Commission was without authority to' impose it.

Prior to January IS, 1932, the assessor of incomes had audited the taxpayer’s income for the years 1925 to 1930, inclusive, which audit showed an additional income tax liability of $161,643.64 for the year 1929, and on that day the assessor of incomes notified the taxpayer that he would levy an additional assessment which would be computed in the amounts stated on the exhibit schedules annexed to the auditor’s report. Within the twenty days specified by sec. 71.12 of the statutes and on February 4, 1932, the taxpayer served and filed his objections to the proposed assessment and requested a hearing thereon before the income tax board of review. On November 27, 1933, there was a hearing-before the board of review, testimony was taken, and a full [321]*321disclosure made by the taxpayer, and counsel on both sides argued the case. It was agreed that briefs should be filed with the board by December 6th, and reply briefs by December 10th. Although briefs were filed, additional evidence was heard and received on May 21, 1934, and on June 8, 1934, the board of review made its decision holding that the transactions did not result in a taxable income. From this determination an appeal was taken to the Tax Commission by the assessor of incomes.

In the meantime the legislature had enacted ch. 348, Laws of 1933, which became effective June 30, 1933. This act added a new section to the statutes to read:

“71.115 Years open to audit and adjustment. . . .
“(4) All additional assessments of back income taxes shall be deemed to have been made within the limitation period provided by section 71.11 (5) of the statutes for 1927, 1929 and 1931, if notice thereof pursuant to section 71.12 was given to the taxpayer while the years the income of which is included in such assessments were open to adjustment and correction under section 71.11 (5) of said statutes.”

It is contended on behalf of the Tax Commission that this statute operated retroactively, and that the notice given January 15, 1932, amounted to an additional assessment. The trial court held that the section did not operate retroactively; that in accordance with the provisions of sec. 370.06, Stats., which provides:

“In any case when a limitation or period of time prescribed in any act which shall be repealed for the acquiring of any right, or barring of any remedy, or for any other purpose shall have begun to run before such repeal and the repealing act shall provide any limitation or period of time for such purpose, such latter limitation or period shall apply only to such rights or remedies as shall accrue subsequently to the time when the repealing act shall take effect, and the act [322]*322repealed shall be held to continue in force and be operative to determine all such limitations and periods of time which shall have previously begun to run unless such repealing act shall otherwise expressly provide.”

the act operated prospectively.

Accordingly, the trial court held that the additional assessment could not be “deemed to have been made” prior to December 31, 1933.

We do not find it necessary to determine whether or not the statute operated retroactively or whether ch. 1, Laws of Sp. Sess. 1937, is applicable to the case, or if it is, whether it is valid.

It appears without dispute that on November 21, 1933, the taxpayer received a letter or a copy of a letter written by L. E. Cochran, one of the auditors in the office of the assessor of incomes, the material part of which is as follows :

“Notice of a proposed assessment was made under date of January 15, 1932, and taxpayer asked for a hearing before the board of review in respect to ‘Capital Gain arising from the disposition of common stock of Northern Refrigerator Car Company.’
“The said audit report reviews the receipt by taxpayer of 34,612 shares of the preferred stock of Northern Refrigerator Line, Inc., against which is applied his cost of 23,650 shares of the common stock of the Northern Refrigerator Car Company which he surrendered. This transaction was in accordance with a plan of reorganization dated January 3, 1929.
“It has now come to our notice that a second plan of reorganization was entered into dated January 8, 1929, wherein taxpayer parted with 440 shares of the common stock of Northern Refrigerator Car Company in exchange for which he received 643 shares of the preferred stock of Northern Refrigerator Line, Inc., in the final and complete liquidation of the Northern Refrigerator Car Company.”

(The letter then states the amount of taxable gain claimed to be derived from the transaction.)

[323]*323On the same day counsel for the taxpayer addressed a letter to Mr. John H. Leenhouts, assessor of incomes, as follows:

“We have a letter dated November 21st signed by Mr. Cochran, your auditor, inclosing a letter, dated November 21st in each of the above cases [Re: Michael F. Cudahy and John Cudahy], which sets out a further alleged profit on exchange of stock in each case. It is understood that at the hearings you are going to present these letters to the board as the basis for an additional proposed assessment in each case. The facts are correctly stated in the letters.”

(Letter then recites counsel’s contention as to how the matter should be disposed of.)

In the statement of facts contained in the taxpayer’s petition for review the facts in regard to the writing and receipt of the letters of November 21, 1933, are recited.

Free access — add to your briefcase to read the full text and ask questions with AI

Related

Opinion No. Oag 46-82, (1982)
71 Op. Att'y Gen. 147 (Wisconsin Attorney General Reports, 1982)
Anderson Bros. v. Stone
85 So. 2d 767 (Mississippi Supreme Court, 1956)
Wisconsin Electric Power Co. v. Department of Taxation
29 N.W.2d 711 (Wisconsin Supreme Court, 1947)
Cudahy v. Tax Commission
276 N.W. 759 (Wisconsin Supreme Court, 1937)

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
276 N.W. 748, 226 Wis. 317, 1937 Wisc. LEXIS 310, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/cudahy-v-tax-commission-wis-1937.